Virginia
Commonwealth of Virginia
Flag
Seal
Nickname(s): Old Dominion; Mother of
Presidents
Motto(s): Sic semper tyrannis (Latin)[1]
before statehood, known as
the Colony of Virginia
Official
language(s)
English
Spoken
language(s)
English 94.6%, Spanish
5.9%
Demonym
Virginian
Capital
Richmond
Largest city
Virginia Beach
Largest metro
area
Northern Virginia
Area
Ranked 35th in the US
- Total
42,774 sq mi
(110,785 km²)
- Width
200 miles (320 km)
- Length
430 miles (690 km)
- % water
7.4
- Latitude
36°32′ N to 39°28′ N
- Longitude
75°15′ W to 83°41′ W
Population
Ranked 12th in the US
- Total
7,769,089 (2008 est.)[2]
- Density
193/sq mi (75/km²)
Ranked 14th in the US
- Median income
$59,562[3] (9th)
Elevation
- Highest point
Mount Rogers[4]
5,729 ft (1,747 m)
- Mean
950 ft (290 m)
- Lowest point
Atlantic Ocean[4]
0 ft (0 m)
Admission to
Union
June 25, 1788 (10th)
Governor
Timothy M. Kaine (D)
Lieutenant
Governor
Bill Bolling (R)
U.S. Senators
Jim Webb (D)
Mark Warner (D)
U.S. House
delegation
6 Democrats,
5 Republicans (list)
Time zone
Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations
VA US-VA
Website
www.virginia.gov
The Commonwealth
of
Virginia
(
/vərˈdʒɪnjə/ ) is an American state on the At-
lantic Coast of the Southern United States.
The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and
sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", be-
cause it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presid-
ents. The state is geographically shaped by
the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Ches-
apeake Bay, home to much of the state’s flora
and fauna. The capital of the commonwealth
is Richmond, Virginia Beach is the most pop-
ulous city, and Fairfax County is the most
populous political subdivision. The state pop-
ulation is over seven million.[5]
The roots of Virginia trace back to the
founding of the Virginia Colony in 1607 by
the Virginia Company of London as the first
permanent New World English colony.
Slavery played a significant role in Virginia’s
early economy and politics. Virginia became
one of the Thirteen Colonies in the American
Revolution and subsequently joined t